


The Things We See in the Dark

by FyireMoon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Hogwarts Mystery
Genre: A different take on what might happen in the Fear Vault, Burns, Fighting, Manipulation, My character is a Hufflepuff with diagnosed Paranoia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-25 06:06:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17719553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FyireMoon/pseuds/FyireMoon
Summary: Kenna Viento thinks that she knows what she's afraid of, after all, she's already defeated one boggart with no problem. It's not until she enters the Fear Vault and finds herself alone against something that shakes her to her core, does she realize she may not have all the answers.





	The Things We See in the Dark

Kenna was terrified. The figures of Voldemort hovered around her, her friends frozen in their clutches. Her blood felt like ice as it roared in her ears. She had to do something despite the fear tearing her apart. Her eyes fixed on Barnaby, his hands clawing at his throat as Voldemort kept him in the air. Several memories flashed through her mind: The resignation on his face when he talked about his parents, the excitement he showed learning she was an animagus, the shock she felt about him jumping in front of Ismelda’s blast, the determination in his face as he started the two of them down. An overwhelming sense of anger and protectiveness washed over her, melting the ice in her blood. 

 

Her feet splashed water onto her robe as she darted forward, planting herself between him and Voldemort, “Let my friend  _ go. _ ” She snarled, casting  _ ridiculus _ with a sharp flick of her wrist. The second Barnaby was released, Kenna lunged to steady him. She caught his arm and kept him upright as he reeled and caught his breath. 

 

“Are you okay?” She asked, voice sounding brittle in the unusual space. 

 

Barnaby scrubbed his free hand across his face and blinked a few times, “Yeah, I think so…” He looked past her to where Voldemort had been and tilted his head, “What did you do?” Kenna spun around, wand instinctively coming up. A cartoon-esque balloon with Voldemort's face floated where the Dark Lord had been, his voice high pitched as he yelled threats.

 

Barnaby chuckled, “I can’t believe you made him a balloon!” At the sound of his laugh, it burst into red confetti that fluttered to the murky water below.

 

“Stay behind me,” Kenna said, tightening her grip on his wrist, “Watch out for more boggarts.” He nodded, face masked in that same determination he’d shown facing down Merula, and she pulled him towards Bill.

 

Seeing Bill, strong, powerful, Prefect Bill, cowering before Voldemort nearly brought all of Kenna’s fear back. She was running on pure adrenaline and panic, hyperfocused on her friends. Shoving away her fear, Kenna planted her feet and cast the spell again. 

 

“ _ Ridiculus.”  _

 

Bill shook himself, blinking rapidly as the figure of Voldemort in front of him shrank to the size of a soda can. Before either of them could react, Barnaby darted forward, nearly yanking Kenna with him, and kicked the small figure as hard as he could. The act startled a violent, nervous laugh from Kenna, enough to make it explode into sparks as it flew through the air. 

 

“Kenna!” Bill turned to her, eyes wild, “What happened?!” 

 

“No time!” She shoved her wand between her teeth and grabbed his sleeve, dragging the two of them behind her through the waters towards Tulip. There was no hesitation in her movements this time as she released them and pulled the wand from her teeth, casting in the same motion. 

 

Tulip stumbled away from a now Clown-Voldemort into the group, enough of a gasping laugh escaping her to defeat the final boggart. On edge, the four of them backed into the center of the room again.

 

Still trying to catch her breath, Tulip squeezed Kenna’s shoulder, “Thank you.” 

 

“We’re still here.” Kenna’s voice pitched and she clenched her trembling hands into fists, “Why are we still here? What are we supposed to do to get out?!” 

 

Tulip brushed her hair aside, visibly running through ideas in her head, “What if we have to say our biggest fears?” 

 

“Worth a shot.” Bill offered, “My biggest fear is losing my family.”

 

“Mine is Merula.” Tulip added in a rush, letting the words spill out before she could chicken out.

 

“Clowns!” Barnaby's eyes were wild despite the incredulous look that Tulip gave him, “The last Boggart was scarier after Kenna cast  _ ridiculus _ !” 

 

“I’m scared of Voldemort.” Kenna finished, voice confident despite the shaking of her hands. They waited with bated breath, hovering on the precipice of escape.

 

“It’s not worki-“ Mid sentence Barnaby was sucked down, under the water. Tulip yelped, reaching for him only to meet the same fate, quickly followed by Bill. Kenna screamed for them, panic filling her as she found herself alone. 

 

“It’s too late, Kenna.” A voice floated around her, achingly familiar. 

 

“Jacob?” She whispered, eyes wide.

 

“It’s already within you.” This time the voice sounded from behind her and Kenna spun, nearly dropping her wand when she saw who was behind her. 

 

Her brother stood a few paces away in a tattered Hufflepuff uniform, his dark hair messy, his eyes haunted and dark. On his left arm curled a dark tattoo, a snake slithering from the mouth of a skull. The wand in his hand was made of dark, twisted wood. 

 

Jacob smiled at her, the expression dripping with malice, “Hey, Kenna, it’s been a while.”

She stepped back, terror turning her limbs to lead, “J-Jacob?” Kenna shook her head, orange curls falling into her face, “No, this isn’t real, you can’t… you can’t be here!” 

 

He held out his arms, circling her, “Come on, I thought you’d be happy to see me,  _ Hermanita _ .” All she could focus on was the mark on his arm, the coiling symbol of the Dark Lord. The horror and reality of it settled into the pit of her stomach like a heavy weight. The rumors were right, her brother was more than just a disgrace, he was a traitor. 

 

“I…” Her heart ached so much she couldn’t breath, “I don’t- I don’t know…” 

 

Jacob frowned and paced forward to put his hands on her shoulders, sending a fear through her so paralysing that she felt dizzy, “I’ve heard about what’s been happening, that Merula girl and her little minion, Ismelda.” He smiled again, a motion that made Kenna want to scream and cry simultaneously, “They dont ever have to hurt you again, Kenna. I’ll take care of them, I promise.” He pulled her into an embrace, and every nerve in her body rioted in resistance. 

 

Tears spilled past her lashes and burned trails down her cheeks, “Stop it, please, stop it-“ 

 

“The Dark Lord could make you so  _ powerful _ , Kenna! With everything you’ve accomplished, you could be amazing!” His voice bled with passion, “The power of the Cursed Vaults could let you rule the world.” She couldn’t take it anymore, the fear, the feeling of his words burrowing under her skin, the poison that radiated off of him.

 

Kenna slipped her wand from her sleeve and jabbed it against her brother’s side, “ _ Depulso!”  _ Jacob went flying back, water spraying up around him as he slid to a halt. 

 

There was an evil darkness in his eyes as he raised his head, “Oh, Kenna, Kenna, Kenna. Why would you do that to your brother?” 

 

“You’re not Jacob!” She spat, “You’re just a nightmare made to look like him!” 

 

He clicked his tongue, “What does the little voice in your head say, Kenna?” 

 

“Stop it,” Her hands shook on her wand, “stop feeding my paranoia.” 

 

“You know that's not true.” He began to circle her again with a lazy, malicious ease, “That’s just Dad’s stupid muggle word. It’s intuition,  _ Hermanita _ , you know that.” 

 

“It’s not-“ 

 

“I mean, just look at your friends.” He continued, “You’ve already got all of them under your thumb, willing to do anything for you. That easy manipulation would serve you well in the Death Eaters.” 

 

“I…” Kenna broke off, curling her arms around herself with a dawning horror, “I didn’t manipulate them, they’re my friends because- because.” 

 

“See?” Jacob pointed at her, “You know I’m right, Kenna.” She felt sick and dizzy, the already shifting space around her spinning even more. Kenna dropped to her knees, her hands pressing against her ears to try and block out the sounds. Thoughts like poison stormed in her brain, corrupting everything that passed through her mind. It felt like she was falling apart. 

 

She  _ was _ no better than Merula, wasn’t she? She’d pulled Tulip and Barnaby into searching for the Vaults, endangered Rowan’s dream of being a professor over and and over, forced Ben and Penny into dangerous and terrifying situations. Tonks and Bill had risked so much for her, like detention and ranks. 

 

Now Tulip, Barnaby and Bill were stuck in this vault, destined to a terrible fate unless Kenna could get out of this mess. That was enough to rouse her to her feet, one arm curled around her stomach while the other shakily held her wand. 

 

Jacob watched her with a grim disappointment, “What are you doing now?” 

 

“Fighting back,” She breathed, “I started this mess and I need to finish it.” 

 

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow, his expression tired, “You know what I said was true.” 

 

Kenna managed a shaky grin, “I never said you were.” She lifted her wand, “ _ Petrific-“  _

 

_ “Expelliarmus!” _

 

Jacobs spell interrupts hers, ripping her wand from her hand and casting it off into the dark water. Before she can swear, a second spell sends her flying backwards and she landed hard on her left shoulder. Her brother is on her in a second, one boot pressing down on her chest to hold her there. 

 

He leaned down, resting one arm on his bent leg, “I expected more.” 

 

Kenna growled, fishing the broken pieces of Jacob’s old wand from her pocket, “First mistake.” She managed to get her hand around one of the pieces and yanked it from her robe,  _ “Incendio!”  _ The fireball pushed Jacob off of her and burned her hand nearly down to her elbow. She hissed in pain, plunging her arm under the water while her other hand searched the bottom for her wand.

 

In a timely miracle she managed to get her fingers around the twisted wood of her wand. Kenna stood, soaked robe swirling around her and bronze hair flying from her ponytail as she raised it high. 

 

“ _ Ridiculus.”  _

 

The figure of her brother screamed for a split second before his figure exploded with light, hundreds of golden butterflies fluttering from where he used to stand. They fluttered around her, brushing delicate wings against her cheek. 

 

There wasn’t enough emotion left in her to laugh, but the half-strangled sob that left her throat seemed to count. The mystery space around her dissolved, leaving her standing before her three friends. They stared at her, her hair a disaster, her robe still dripping water and the burn that laced down her arm. 

 

She looked down at herself, and then back up at them, “Well...That was terrible.” 

 

“Kenna,” Bill was staring at her arm, “What happened?!” 

 

She tugged her singed sleeve down to cover her hand, “I don’t want to talk about it, lets just close this vault.” 


End file.
